The Beginning
by Da Simptica
Summary: PG13: Swearing, implications. Jake finds that he has a past with the new girl in town....Is there a way that they could admit her as an Animorph? Or can they trust her?...R/R, constructive criticism allowed, and READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE.
1. Arriving

**_A/N:_** Hey people, this is my Animorphs fanfiction. I must warn you, though, that there are a number of new characters in here mainly because my friends and I write about them alot. And I must get ONE THING STRAIGHT: Fi and Jack are absolutely positively NOT from So Weird. I swear, it was a coincidence. Believe it!! Día Simpática ("Nice Day") Tells no lies! R/R, constructive criticism accepted.   


  
***The Beginning***  
  


~~~Chapter One~~~ |*Jack*|  
  
My name is Jack.  
But why do I always bother with this? That's my name. It just always has been. It always will be. It's a name. A simple name.   
It's been many years since I've slept in a real house. Had a real home. A real family.   
Besides, of course, my sister Fi. She's all I have right now. The only one keeping me from self-destruction.   
But she's still two years younger than me.   
I'm still just ten. Fi is eight. But would you just know it...she's really smart for her age. Not book-smart...but life-smart. She knows what's going on...and she has this odd power of being able to tell what you're thinking. Not quite a psychic ability, but amazing all the same.  
Sometimes I often wonder if we were abandoned. How could I know? We've been in these woods for who knows how many years...At a young age I was capable of taking care of myself and of Fi. It was a miracle that we had survived this whole time. Miracle.   
"Jack," she asked softly, coughing lightly. "Jack, are you with me here?"   
"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of my daze. Back in the woods. The dark of the night. The glow of the fire. The warmth of Fi cuddled up to me in the cold.   
"Jackson..are you alive here? You weren't answering me."   
"Oh..yeah...I - I'm fine, Fiona," I said, clearing my throat lightly.   
"Mmm," she murmered, coughing again. She buried her head in my chest. Something she often did. Feeling the once again steady breaths from her lungs, I knew she was asleep.   
I sighed lightly, wrapping an arm around her small figure. She was a petite sort of person. Not something I was. I was actually quite tall for my age. Somewhat strongly-built. I'd never had any experience with girls, though. The only girl I'd ever known for so many years was my little sister, cuddled up right here in my arms.   
I didn't care, though.  
All I wanted was a family again. A home. House.   
"Jack?" a small voice whispered softly.   
"Hmm?"   
"Jack..it's going to be okay...we're going to be okay, Jackson.."   
I smiled lightly down at her. "You think so, Fi?"   
She looked up at me with the all-too blue eyes of hers. "I know so, Jack. I know so."   
  
~~~Chapter Two~~~ |*Jack*|  
  
The next day, Fi and I got right to searching for food. Something we had to do very often. We hiked for miles every morning...just searching for any sort of food.   
"Here, Jack! Over here!"  
I followed the sound of her voice, making russeling noises as I pushed the leaves and branches away. The snap of twigs under my feet was a noise I'd been hearing forever. It was like music to my ears.   
I pulled a branch out of the way. And lo and behold...a tree full of apples stood right before Fi. She was up on her tiptoes, attempting to reach the delicate fruit. The lowest branch was well over two feet taller than her. She leaped off her tiny feet and shot her hand out, snagging an apple off the tree. She grinned over at me.   
"Oh Fi...it's like a dream come true," I murmered. "The basket. Basket."   
She handed me the self-made basket of branches. I immediately began pulling fruit off the limbs of the tree and tossing them gently into the large basket.   
She took one from me and looked up me with her doll-like blue eyes, as if pleading.   
I rolled my eyes. "Yes...take one."   
She smiled and reached a small hand into the basket, bringing out a rather small apple. She took a bite of the fruit as if it would run away at any given moment.   
But, luckily, she'd never been one to eat a lot. Eating was actually a rather rare thing to see Fi doing. A good thing that it wasn't like a sickness to her, either, because there was seldom edible food in these woods.   
"It's a bit too ripe..but it's delicious," she announced.   
I smiled. "Good." I took one myself and bit into it. She'd been more than right...it was delicious, all right. Not too ripe. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.   
She smiled her small smile. "Good?"   
"Great," I agreed.   
Carrying the basket, we began to hike off again.   
  
Carrying now a large basket of apples, topped with some raspberries and blackberries, we had food that could last us for at least a week now. We've never really tried to kill animals. Fi's a vegetarian, and so am I. And she's really close to the animals of the woods. Sometimes I hear her talking to them..weird, I know, but what else can you expect?? The girl grew up with no Barbies, stuffed animals, or toys of any means. It was still amazing to see her as comfortable with our home as she was.  
She skipped through the woods beside me. Although she was skipping and I was merely walking, she had a hard time keeping up with me. I was happy to see the grin on her face. It was a nice sunny day outside...Fi skipped along merrily as her long brown hair sparkled in the sunlight. Her eyes were as blue as ever, exactly matching the tint of the cloudless sky above us.   
I laughed lightly. "You having fun there, Fiona?"  
She grinned. "Lots." She reached her small hand over and snatched a small blackberry out of the basket, popping it into her mouth and continuing her fun.   
I smiled lightly. She was an energetic little girl, all right. I at least hoped she would find a home.   
Amazing really, that we could have even survived in these woods all this time. But also, amazing that we hadn't found our way out of it. The woods must stretch on for hundreds of miles. I had no doubt they did.   
I tried to push the thought out of my head and focus on my sister skipping carelessly at my side. The day was perfect; and I wasn't going to let a thing spoil it.   
  
~~~Chapter Three~~~ |*Jack*|  
Night once again. We attempted to make a fire in the chill of the night wind, but the cold was like a poison. It surrounded our bodies, as the chilly wind froze all other movement in the woods.   
"Winter must be coming," Fi predicted softly. She got cold easily, so this wasn't helpful to me. I pulled off my sweater and wrapped it around her small shoulders. The wind wouldn't bother me too much.   
"Yes..winter," I agreed, grumbling. Winter. I hated it. The snow..the cold...last winter Fi and I had hardly survived at all, shut up in our small cave with our lack of provisions. One day more and Fi probably would have died.   
I shuddered at the memory.  
  
_"Jackson..." Fi whispered, shivering. "Why...so cold??..."   
"It's ok, Fi...Fi, it's ok...don't worry," I said, more trying to convince myself than her.   
"It's ok if I die..." she whispered softly. "I'm...not afraid of death..."  
I looked down at her. She was wrapped in my ancient sweater made of some fibers I had found in the woods. All of our clothes had. Along with our blanket.   
She was wrapped in the blanket tightly. Her cheeks were tinged blue. She was so skinny...  
  
_I gasped, trying to push the memory away from me.   
I snapped my head up as I heard a low growling from the woods to my right.   
"Freeze, Fiona," I whispered softly, freezing myself.   
Curiously, she raised her head to see what was at my right.   
"Fiona, get DOWN," I demanded. No doubt a wolf. We'd had them come close to us before, but never attack. Amazingly.   
Too late. The wolf leaped out of the woods and straight at me, knocking me over with its paws and pinning me to the ground.   
I gasped for breath, staring up into the emotionless yellow eyes of the canine. I'd never had a dog. With my experience with wolves, I didn't want one, either.   
"Jack, don't move," Fi whispered.   
Without moving my head, I moved my eyes towards her with hesitation.  
Slowly she moved forward, extending a hand.   
"Fiona!" I hissed.  
She ignored me. Her hand touched the flank of the wolf. She softly stroked its fur, whispering silently and soothingly. But not to me. To the wolf.   
The wolf looked at her, eyes no longer seeming emotionless. He cocked his head, and climbed off me, but not before knocking the wind out of me once again, and over to Fi, allowing her to silently comfort him.   
I scrambled off the ground, brushing myself off and staring at Fi. She'd always had a magical gift for animals, but this was a bit amazing. Being able to woo a wolf from its prey was a gift beyond me.   
"Shhh," she whispered softly to the wolf, stroking its fur. Another amazing thing was that she looked absolutely comfortable in petting something three times her size that could rip her head off in an instant. She wasn't afraid at all.   
She gave the wolf a small pat on the head, and he trotted off to find a different place to hunt.   
The silence sat for a minute. She looked up at me and then back at the ground, looking ashamed.   
"Fi--that was--" I laughed lightly without humor. "That was _amazing_!! How did you--oh, man...you had that wolf--geez..." I patted her small head. "You're one of a kind, you know that little sister?"   
She smiled lightly up at me. "Of course I'm one of a kind. Then I wouldn't be me."   
I laughed. "Ok, well, you have a point there, Fi." I rubbed her head, messing her hair a bit. "C'mon. Let's get some rest."   
  
~~~Chapter Four~~~ |*Jack*|  
The next day, Fi and I silently climbed out of our small home and into the sunrise. We began to walk. We needed all the food we could get before winter hit.   
"Jack, do you realize that cardinals --"   
"Shh," I hissed, stopping in my tracks.   
"What, Jackson? What is--"   
"Shh!" I repeated, motioning for her to be silent.   
She looked at me questioningly, but obeyed.   
"Voices!" I said triumphantly, looking around eagerly for the source.   
"Yes, well, these woods are terrible, Mother! They are so--oh, I don't know! Unsanitary," a voice was saying from not far away.   
"Teresa, toughen up. This is what we like to call 'the woods'. Not a hotel. If we wanted a hotel, we wouldn't be here with tents, would we?" a second voice asked.   
I grabbed Fi's hand and began running towards the source of the voices. When she was unable to keep up, I snatched her into my arms and ran around aimlessly.   
Then, I spotted them.   
A woman, age of probably about thirty-four or so, and a girl, at least four or five years older than me. She appeared to be in her mid-teens. She sighed and sat down on a rock. "We could at least _rest_, Mother. Ever heard the meaning of the word?"   
"Oh, plenty of times, 'Reese," she agreed, sitting down on a rock next to the other. She rolled her shoulders a bit to stretch her back.   
"Now's our chance!" Fi hissed at me.   
I looked down at her, forgetting she had been in my arms. I set her feet back on the forest floor and emerged from the woods, walking towards the woman and her daughter.   
She looked at me and gasped, but smiled and tried to cover up for the scare. "Hello, there."   
I nodded. "He--Hello," I said, trying to sound as mature as I could.   
Fi, being herself, jumped in before I could say anything. "We're lost in the woods. We haven't got a home, we haven't seen our parents in at least four or five years..will you please take us in??"   
"Fi," I hissed, but glanced at the woman for her reaction.   
She put a hand to her mouth and looked at Fi. "Oh...you poor things...of course I'll--take you in. Right away. I'll try and find your parents..."   
Teresa looked up with hope. "Does this mean we get to go home?"   
Her mother ignored her and scooped Fi into her arms. "What a beautiful young girl you are," she said, smiling lightly.   
I nodded. "Yes. Fi has always been a beautiful little one. And don't worry..she's always been that petite."   
The woman nodded with understanding and looked up at me. "You're a handsome boy, too, don't get me wrong," she agreed, standing from her seat on the rock. "Yes yes yes, of course I'll take the two of you in. Of course."   
  
~~~Chapter Six~~~ |*Jack*| *SIX YEARS LATER*  
Six years with the Andersons now. They were two amazing people. Molly, the woman, lost her husband a while before we had moved in with them. She was a woman of about forty now, but her age didn't affect her beauty at all. She'd recorded a few records in her time, but never gone on tour. Her records (CDs now) were absolutely breath-taking. They moved you like nothing ever could. The words were like magic. But you know...hearing this from a guy like me...  
Her daughter Teresa was about twenty now. She was a bright young woman with beauty like her mother's. She was one of those supermodel types; her crimpy copper hair reached her rear and her green eyes were like emeralds. She was smart, too. She could be anything that she wanted to be, really. She had the unlimited talent, the brains, the beauty, and the sense of humor to get any job.   
And Fi. Oh, man...Fi. She'd really turned into a beautiful teenager of fourteen. She was surprisingly quiet. I don't know if it was the fact that she didn't like the Andersons, or that she just wanted to be at her real home. She was still the petite person she was before, and her wavy brown hair stopped at the bottom of her butt, and those sky-blue eyes got bluer every day. But they also seemed to get sadder everyday.   
And I was a guy of sixteen now. I won't brag about my looks, but you know.  
The phone rang, and I dived for it, picking up the reciever. "Yo, Jack here."   
"Hey, man."   
My friend Richard. I smiled. "Hey, man, s'up?"  
"Eh, nothing much. That little worm Christina snagged my Smashing Pumpkins CD."   
"Aw, that bites," I agreed, leaning against the back of the couch. "I've never had a problem with Fi."   
"Oh shut up. Just because Christina likes to swipe my CDs doesn't mean you have to brag about your totally awesome, non-nosey sister who's friends with Chris, ok?"   
I laughed. "No problem."  
I heard a voice at the other end of the phone. "RICHARD PETERS! Get off that phone! I need the line, worm!"   
His older sister Marina. She was just as bad as Teresa. Equally as beautiful. She had the same, thick blond hair as her sister Christina.  
"ALL RIGHT, SKANK! HOLD UP!" he yelled back.   
"EXCUSE ME, RICHARD IAN PETERS??! You fag!"   
The sound of the dial tone.   
I shrugged and hung up the phone. I was used to their sibling rivalry. It was nothing new to me.   
I sighed, pulling myself to my feet and walking upstairs. I passed Fi's room, seeing her in there, curled up and deeply involved in a large book that I wouldn't have thought _anybody_ at the age of fourteen would be able to read. But with Fi, of course, you'd never know.   
She silently turned the page, showing no sign of recognition of my presence. I continued on down the hallway and to my room, going in and closing the door.   
  
Later at dinner, Fi sat in silence, just picking at her food with her fork. Molly looked at her, looking somewhat concerned, but said nothing.   
"It's good," I complimented, smiling lightly.   
"Mmmhmm," Teresa agreed, flipping a large strand of copper hair off her shoulder.   
"What do you think, Fi?" Molly asked softly, looking at Fi hopefully.   
Fi nodded lightly. "It's good," she whispered.   
"Fi, c'mon..you haven't even touched a bit of it," I pointed out. "How would you know how it tastes?"  
She gave me a pained look, pushed her chair back, and left the room.   
Molly looked at the door and then at me, as if questioningly.   
I nodded. "I'll figure out what's going on with her," I offered, pushing back my chair and following Fi.   
I walked up the stairs and knocked on her door. No response. "Fiona, it's me. Open up."   
I heard what sounded like muffled crying. "Fi, please!" I begged, turning the knob only to see that the door was locked.  
Defeated, I let my forehead fall onto her door, trying to remember what Fi taught me about picking door locks.   
Lifting my head a bit in hope, I looked down at the carpet.   
"Ah ha..." I whispered, dropping to my knees and snatching up a stray hair pin. I fitted it into the lock and moved it back and forth again. The door sprang open.   
She looked at me, eyes slightly red and small black smudges under her eyes. She looked away again.   
I smiled lightly and shut the door behind me. "Hey, I learned how to pick locks from the master."   
No reaction.  
I cleared my throat, pulling her desk chair beside her bed and sitting, chair flipped backwards. "Okay, Fiona...what's going on?"   
She sighed shakily and wiped her eyes. "Nothing. Nothing at all."   
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, _please_, Fi! I've known you my whole life. You'd think that I would know when you were lying."   
She bit her lower lip. "Jack..do you realize that our real family is out there somewhere?" she asked thoughtfully, gazing out the window at the night sky.   
"Yes," I replied, standing and shutting the blinds of her window, trying to regain her attention. "But Fi, what's wrong? We've got a great family right here...right here!! I mean, our other family abandoned--"   
"They did NOT!" she protested, standing and looking me in the eye.   
She was no match for me. She was a foot shorter than me. I scoffed, rubbing my forehead. "Then how come they never came back, Fi? Tell me that. How come they never searched for us? Huh?! What about that?! If they gave a fucking DAMN about what was happening to us, then they would've come back to us long ago!"   
She looked at me with pain, the tears flowing down her cheeks, a sob escaped her throat as she began to cry.   
I went on, despite the fact I had already upset her.   
"They wouldn't have left us to die in those woods, Fi. They would have come back and looked for us. We were in there for at least six fricken years, Fi," I said, holding up six fingers. "SIX FRICKEN YEARS."   
"Stop," she whispered, shaking her head.   
I ignored her request. "At least Molly and Teresa cared enough to take us in. Have we ever heard of our parents since? Our real family? We were abandoned, damnit. And you know it!"   
"Jack, please!" she pleaded through tears.   
Ignoring her pleas once again, I continued. "Nobody is that heartless. Nobody that I could ever give any credit to, anyway."   
I stormed out of her room, slamming the door behind me.   
It wasn't until then that I realized how horrible I was to her. I ignored the guilt and returned to my room.   
  
~~~Chapter Seven~~~ |*Fi*|  
I sat in my room, glaring at the slammed door.   
I looked away, sniffling. I didn't need Jack. I didn't need his sympathy, or his advice. Ever since we had moved in with the Andersons, he was different. We never talked anymore. We never told secrets. We hadn't in so long...  
I curled up on my bed, silently hugging the teddy bear I'd gotten from Molly for my ninth birthday. I released a shaky sigh and opened the blinds to my window again.   
They were out there...they were. There was nothing in the world that was going to stop me from finding them. Nothing.   
Looking away, the truth hit me. I'd never get anywhere in this world without Jackson. I never had.   
The phone rang. I glanced at the Caller ID. It was somebody over at the Peters' house. Taking the chance that it was Christina, I picked up the phone. "Hello?" I asked, wiping my tears away again.   
"Hey, Fi."   
Yep. It was Christina.   
I smiled lightly. "Hey..."   
"Hey, Fi...I uh...well." She cleared her throat.   
"What is it?" I asked, settling back against my head board.   
"Fi...we're...we're moving tomorrow."   
I sat bolt-upright. "You're WHAT?"   
"Yeah..I know..it comes as a bit of a shock--"   
"A BIT of a shock?" I demanded, groaning. "I can't believe this!"   
"Fi, I didn't find out until ten minutes ago, I swear. My parents have gone ballistic!! What else can I say?"   
I sighed. "Nothing. Nothing at all."   
"Fi...is something wrong? Cuz you know..I could come over there for a while before I left tomorrow..."   
"No..I'm okay," I reassured, patting my eyes with a tissue. "I'm okay."   
"All right...I'll see you..." she said softly. I heard a click from the other end.   
I hung the phone up and glanced around my room. Nothing was the same anymore...I'd honestly rather be stuck in those woods instead of here and feeling I didn't know where I belonged anymore.   
  
"Fiona? Fiona..wake up, sweetie..."   
I groaned softly and opened my eyes, looking up into the eyes of Molly. She looked down at me with concern. "Fi..you okay??"  
I sat up, looking away. "Yes. I'm okay..."  
She cleared her throat. "Fi...I've planned on a small trip for the family..."   
I looked at her. "Christina's moving--"   
"So I heard," she agreed, looking at the bedsheets. "Jack told me after he heard it from Richard."   
I nodded thoughtfully.   
"Fi...Honey...I--I don't want to get your hopes up...but I believe your family may be in this town.."   
I eyed her. "What did you say?"   
She smiled. "I meant what I said. Pack your things. We're leaving tomorrow morning."   
  
~~~Chapter Eight~~~ |*Fi*|  
It was the next day...we'd just rented our room for the vacation.   
I looked around the hotel. It was beautiful...expensive-looking.   
Molly took our room key and smiled over at me. "You two are going to school, right? I mean, we're gonna be in this town for a while...I have a CD to record next month here."   
I nodded. "Mmmhmm," I said thoughtfully, gazing out the window of our hotel room.   
"Okay.." she agreed. "School starts for the city in one hour...you'd better go early and get a schedule, hmm?"   
I nodded again, grabbing some of my schooling stuff and shoving it into a backpack, slinging it over my shoulder and beginning to walk out of the room.   
I stopped, and turned to look at Molly.   
She smiled faintly at me.   
I smiled at her. "Thank you, Molly."   
The beginnings of tears shone in her eyes. "No..I should be thanking you. You and Jack and Teresa have made my life wonderful, Fiona...if you find your parents, I will of course let you go to them...but it won't mean I don't love you."   
I smiled. "Thank you," I whispered, and walked out of the hotel room, shutting the door softly behind me.  
  
The school. Eek, what a mess.   
"Excuse me," I murmered constantly, trying to make my way down the hall and to the office. After much fighting the crowd, I pushed the heavy door open. The room smelled stale, and the ceiling fan slowly turned.   
I cleared my throat and walked up to the desk. "I'm going to be visiting for a few months here...may I have a schedule?"   
After asking my talents and giving me a few questions in math and social studies (Which, I don't know what the point of was), the secretary, looking terribly bored, shoved a schedule in my hands. "Thank you, have a nice day, I'll send you a fax."   
I lowered my brow in confusion, backing up. "Okay..." I pushed the door of the school open again, still confused. "Crazy secretary..." I murmered, hurrying out of the room.   
I backed up still, trying to get away from the office. I gasped as I bumped into somebody and heard the clutter of books falling to the tile floor of the hallway. I turned around without hesitation, bending down to pick up the books. "I'm sorry," I apologized, without looking at the person. "I'm such a klutz..."   
There was a small laugh. "It's okay, really...I'm probably more of a klutz. Some people actually find me responsible."   
I laughed lightly and looked at the person. I fell back on my butt. "Oh...um..."   
He looked back at me with the same confusion, extending a hand. "Jake Phillips..."   
I nodded and took his hand. "Fiona Anderson..."   
As his hand clasped mine and shook lightly, I looked away from him.   
"You look a lot like me," he said, laughing lightly.   
I nodded. "Mmmhmm...I noticed..."   
We both laughed, and both stopped when our laughs seemed somewhat similar.  
I tightly hugged my books to my chest, avoiding looking into the eyes that seemed to be a mirror, aside from the fact that they were brown and mine were blue.   
"What's your first class?" he asked, helping me to my feet and seeming to ignore our similarity in personality and appearance.   
I looked at the schedule, pushing the hair out of my face and studying it.   
  


Advanced Algebra Plus~~Kliandson  
Co-Ed Gym~~Phellps  
Biology~~Karson  
'A' Lunch  
English~~Harrison  
Health~~Earl  
History Plus~~Ttarb  
Symphonic Band~~Pearson  


  
I rubbed my forehead. "What looks like...'Klee-andson??'.."  
He laughed lightly. "That's cranky old Mrs. Kliandson...c'mon, that's near my first class...I'll escort you."   
  
After school, Jake showed me around town a bit. A lot in common was something we definitely had. Something so creepy that I had to force myself to overlook it.   
"This is my house," he said with a smile, pointing to a large, comfortable-looking house.   
I smiled up at it. "It looks wonderful..."   
He laughed lightly. "Well, it's enough."   
He pushed the front door open. "C'mon in..I have a minute."   
I followed him inside and into the livingroom.   
"Here...sit down for a sec. I'm gonna get my parents, kay?"   
I nodded, sitting on the couch and looking around as the silence coated the room.   
A few minutes later, Jake came back in with a couple. They smiled. "Hello."   
I smiled back the best I could. "Hi."   
His father extended his hand. "Greg Phillips."   
I took his hand and shook it lightly. "Fi Anderson."   
He stopped and looked at me, laughing lightly. "Uh..say that again?"   
"Fi Anderson..." I said, feeling myself blush with nervousness.  
His parents exchanged looks with each other, but sat down on the couch beside me. "So...Fi...do you have any siblings?" his mother asked, smiling lightly.   
"Yes...I have a brother Jack and a sister Teresa. Actually, though...Teresa isn't my sister by blood. Jackson and I...we were stranded in the woods for a long time..separated from our family...Jack still slightly remembers what our real parents look like, since he was five at the time and I was three.." I looked down. "It was hard on us...but then Molly -- the closest person I have to a mother -- took us in...everything like that," I explained softly.   
Jake's mother nodded, putting on what I knew was a phony smile. "Yes..yes..." she tapped Jake's dad's arm and cleared her throat. "Greg, may I talk to you in the kitchen?"   
He looked at her. "Yes..."   
They both got up, without saying another word to me and left the room.   
I looked at Jake. "What was?--"   
"I'm about to find out," he reassured, getting up and walking out. 


	2. Discovering

~~~~~~~~~*PART TWO*~~~~~~~~~  


*****************************  
~~~Chapter Nine~~~ |*Jake*|  
I got up and left the room, leaving Fi in the livingroom.   
I walked towards the kitchen and put an ear to the door. Eavesdropping, I know, but I had a very strange feeling about what they were talking about...   
"Nikki, it can't be her, okay? She was gone a long time ago. She would have died in those woods...we never found them. We searched nearly for two years...poor Jake and Tom had no idea what it was all about...we could never tell them that they had a brother and sister that were dead!!" my father insisted.   
"Greg, it's her...didn't you see how much she looks like Jake? You know they're twins. Jake never knew, of course. He couldn't. And Tom never knew," my mother argued.   
I gulped. Twin? I had a twin? I leaned against the door, listening with more anxiousness.   
There was a small sigh. "I'm afraid you're right," my father agreed. "Nikki, it's them...it really is..."   
"Mmmhmm..it's them, Darling..." I heard a small muffled sob from my mother in the next room. "It's them..."   
I raised my ear from the door, looking at the livingroom door. I looked back to the kitchen and opened the door. "What's going on?" I demanded, feeling I had a right to know.   
"Jake!" my mom said in surprise. She wiped her eyes.   
"A twin? What the..what else have you been keeping from me?" I demanded.   
"Oh sweetie..nothing...but that girl in there...Fi...that's your twin sister," my mother said, grinning lightly.   
I looked at the door exiting the kitchen and back to my parents. "She's my sister?"   
They both nodded lightly, looking at the door. "How, the question is, are we going to tell her?"   
"She already knows."   
I snapped around, seeing Fi standing in the other doorway of the kitchen. She looked somewhat upset, but then again, her blue eyes sparkled with excitement.   
"Fi...I'm sorry you had to find out this way..." my father apologized.   
"It...it's okay..." she reassured, hugging herself slightly.   
My mother burst into tears and wrapped Fi in her arms. Fi hugged back and looked at me, a small smile on her lips. "No wonder," she whispered simply. "No wonder."   
  
~~~Chapter Ten~~~|*Fi*|  
A week later, Jack and I had moved in with the Phillipses. I still remembered Molly's excited face when I told her that I'd found our family...I remembered her tears most of all.   
I smiled lightly, looking at the picture of them on the side-table of my new bedroom. I sighed shakily, glad that Teresa was staying in the town and Molly would be going on tour now.   
There was a soft knock on the door. "Come on in," I called, carefully setting the picture back in place.   
"Fi?"   
I looked up. "Christina?" I demanded, laughing with amazement. I leaped up. "You moved here??"   
She grinned. "Yep," she confirmed, coming in and shutting the door behind her. "This is a great place...." She grinned. I knew something was coming. "That Jake kid is way hot."   
I laughed. "Hot? He's my twin brother."   
"Really now?" she asked, laughing lightly. "Well, he _is_ hot."   
I rolled my eyes. "Okay..yeah, Christina. Whatever you say, all right?"   
She laughed. "Well...I can't really stick around for long," she said, opening my bedroom door. She smiled lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, hopefully...I start tomorrow."   
I nodded. "Mmhmm."   
"See ya, Fi." She walked out and shut the door behind her.   
I smiled and sat back down on the bed. Everything was going right for me...but something still felt wrong. I felt that there was still something missing. I wasn't sure what, though.   
I turned out the light and layed down, closing my eyes and falling quickly to sleep.   
  
The next day at school, I followed Jake through the crowd of people. I'd gotten a schedule change so my schedule exactly matched his, except for my being in band.   
He stopped. "Here's my locker," he explained, and looked at my schedule and narrowed his brow in concentration, squinting lightly at it.   
When he saw my look of confusion, he laughed lightly. "They always put your locker number in such small print...takes forever to find -- ah, here we are!!" He looked at the locker number and back at his, smiling lightly and putting a hand on the locker next to his. "What luck." He grinned, and then slapped his forehead. "What luck..well, I'm a dummy. Duh, you're going to have a locker next to mine if they're in alphabetical order...now that you're going by Fi Phillips...don't mind me. Jake Phillips: Dummy of the Month."   
I laughed. "Nah....you're probably the smartest person I know."   
He smiled lightly at me. "Really?"   
I nodded. "Oh, for sure...Jake, you don't realize that you're way too smart for your age."   
He laughed. "I hear it from Marco all the time. Don't worry about it." The bell rang as he began his com. He pointed to a place on my schedule where the combination would be, and I started twisting it in, looking worridly at the empty hallways.   
"Hey, don't worry. We have a tardy pass," he explained, holding up a slip of paper. "Since I have to show you around and stuff."   
I nodded in understanding, pulling out the books I needed to, and shut my locker, tossing my brown hair over my shoulder and waiting for Jake.   
He soon finished, shutting his locker and smiling at me. "C'mon...you know your way to Mr. Wattnobbi's class by now, I'd say."   
  
~~~Chapter Eleven~~~ |*Marco*|  
"But Mr. Wattnobbi...if we were to...oh, I don't know...make the numbers --"   
"Quit stalling, Marco," Mr. Wattnobbi snapped. "Some people in this room would like to learn."   
I scoffed lightly. Whoever wanted to learn in his class belonged locked safely into a rubber room.   
I slumped in my chair a bit and looked back to the mathbook with boredom. But what else could I do? I'd had enough warnings from Wattnobbi. He was on the verge of expulsion.   
I gulped. My dad would murder me if I ever got expelled.   
There was a soft knock on the door and the class erupted into low murmers.   
"Ah, yes, Jacob...we were expecting your sister to be switching schedules," Mr. Wattnobbi said.   
Sister? I looked up and saw a petite girl standing beside Jake. Her eyes avoided the remainder of the class and blushed a little, tossing her long wavy brown hair back.   
I sat up in amazement. She was gorgeous...  
The only weird thing was that she looked like Jake.   
_Eeeee...that's kinda like saying Jake is gorgeous..._ I thought, shuddering. _Never.  
_Mr. Wattnobbi took a slip of paper from Jake's hands and nodded slowly. "Yes...okay, Fiona, you can take a seat over there," Mr. Wattnobbi said, pointing to a seat across the room from me. A seat in front of Jeff Kenter...basically the most popular guy in the school.   
He was looking pretty smug about it, too. That stupid perfect blond hair...those stupid brown eyes that no girl had forced herself to resist...  
I looked away, angry. I didn't have a chance with the Fiona girl. But I could try.   
I found it hard to keep my eyes off of her for the rest of the period. What was going on in class, I wouldn't know. Couldn't know.   
Jeff tapped her on the shoulder.   
She turned around and looked at him, smiling lightly.   
"Oh no...no..." I murmered. "Jeff, don't give her the Killer Kenter Smile..." I held my breath. The Killer Kenter Smile was Jeff's trademark; no girl could resist those two dazzling rows of perfectly straight, sparkeling white teeth.   
Jeff smiled the smile.   
"No!" I hissed, slamming a fist on the desk.   
"Mr. Jameson..is there a problem?" Mr. Wattnobbi asked, lowering his spectacles in my direction.   
I gulped. When he lowers his spectacles, you're in deep trouble.   
"No, Mr. Wattnobbi...just one of those Jameson spasms you see so much of," I said with a smirk. _That was bad...that wasn't funny...  
_That got laughs from most of the class. A small smile from Fiona. She wasn't even noticing Jeff.   
I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back the best I could.   
"Well, then get back to paying attention. Goggle at the new student later," Mr. Wattnobbi snapped, going back to his lesson.   
The class laughed again. Except this time, I didn't want the laughter. I'm not a person easily embarrassed, though. Or at least I can hide it. Most of the time.   
  
At the end of class, I leaped out of my seat to catch up to Jake and Fiona.   
"_Who_ is the total babe, Jake?" I demanded in a whisper that Fiona couldn't hear.   
Jake looked at me. "My sister, you dolt." But he looked a little hurt that I'd called her a babe. I shrugged it off.   
"Sister?" I asked.   
"Yes, twin actually," Jake said with a small smile.  
"Oh great. Now you're hiding your siblings from me, Jacob," I scolded, shaking a finger in his face.   
He pushed my hand out of his face. "Knock it off, shorty."   
I rolled my eyes. "More short jokes. You know, one day you're going to be sorry when I grow up to be a big muscular guy." I smirked.   
Fiona laughed lightly. "You've got quite a character of a friend here, Jake."   
I smirked again. "Marco Jameson," I stated, with an exaggerated bow.  
Jake cleared his throat lightly. He knew when I was hitting on somebody.   
But Fiona didn't. She laughed and said, "Fi Phillips."   
I smiled. "Fi. That's a cool name, you know..."   
"Yes, it is, and that's why she's with me," a voice behind me said.   
I snapped around. Jeff Kenter slipped an arm around Fi's shoulders. She smiled blandly and removed his arm. "Charming," she said sarcastically.   
He smirked smugly. "Well, Fi? What do you say? Movies later?"   
She gave him a strained smile. "No thank you."   
He looked at her and slipped his arm around her waist. "You sure there? We could have some -- _fun_ afterwards..."   
I turned away. Nobody could resist the smile. Soon Jeff would have Fi in the back of a car. It was his reputation. I wasn't planning on standing by to watch.  
She pushed his arm away. "You can have _fun_ with yourself, Jeff. It's obvious that it's something you like to do."   
I laughed, but quickly shut up when Jeff shot me a glare. It was amazing that she so easily resisted that Kenter smile...weird.  
She turned to face us again, smiling lightly in apology. Jeff stood behind her and smiled. I couldn't see what he did, but it must have been something bad, because Fi cleared her throat, spun around, and shoved Jeff into the wall with ease, violently holding him there.   
"Wow..she's strong," I murmered to Jake.   
He nodded in amazement.   
She brought her face close to Jeff's. "You touch my ass again, Kenter, and you'll be damn sorry. Capeesh?"   
He nodded, but smirked, unphased by her violent reaction. "Capeesh, babe."   
She ignored him and shoved him hard, turning back around and ignoring our presence, grabbing her books and quickly walking away.   
Jake shot Jeff a glare. I was afraid I'd have to hold him back, until Chapman stepped into the hallway.   
"Jake," I whispered. "Chapman...not now, okay?"   
Angered, he turned around and began walking way. I ran to catch up to him. "Hey, Jake, Jeff always touches every girl's butt, okay? It's no big deal -- I mean! -- not that it's not a big deal that he did that to Fi, but -- do you get what I'm saying here?"   
I could tell he was ignoring me, but I continued to walk quickly beside him. I sighed. I couldn't believe that asshole Kenter did that to Fi. Jerk. Hopefully Fi would make him sorry later.  
  
~~~Chapter Twelve~~~|*Fi*|  
After school, I grabbed my stuff and hurried home, trying to avoid Jake.   
That jerk Kenter...how could anybody in the school like him? It seemed humanly impossible--  
"Hey, Fi!! Hold up!"   
I turned around. It was Marco. He jogged up to me and stopped at my side as I began walking again.   
"Don't worry about Jeff...he's -- he's a jerk. But you don't deserve to be treated like that..." he said sincerely, patting his hair back, thinking I wasn't looking at him.   
I glanced over at him, and back ahead. He was a sweet guy...but I'd had my share of bad boyfriend experiences. "I don't worry about Kenter. I can handle him if I need to."   
He nodded slightly. "I see."  
I stopped and looked at him. He stopped in his tracks.   
"What? Do you think that just because I'm a girl I can't show Kenter who has a higher IQ? Glad to know you think so highly of me."   
I snapped my head back ahead and continued walking.   
  
Later at dinner, I hardly touched my food.   
"Fi...you just gonna poke it or are ya gonna eat some of it?" Tom asked, laughing.   
Jake laughed. I could tell it was an extremely fake laugh, but I didn't say anything because the rest of the family seemed to think it was real.   
"I was thinkin I'm just gonna poke a bit at it."   
Jack smirked. "Jake's friend Marco has a thing for her...I saw him walkin with her back here after school."   
I snapped my head up. "Jack," I hissed. "We were just talking about--"  
Dad looked over at me and cut me off. "Really? Jake and Marco are really good friends, Fi. Nice guy, he is..." he said thoughtfully.   
I looked back at my food, murmering.   
"Aww...so adorable, isn't it?" Jack asked sarcastically.   
I rolled my eyes. "Jack...try getting a life. I've never seen a girl liking you, hmm?"  
He looked at me and gave me a smug look. "It just so happens...that there's this girl that likes me."   
"Oh yeah? And who would that complete and total psycho be?" I asked with a smirk.   
Jack laughed lightly but stopped. "Hey..that wasn't funny!"  
"Well, I saw _you_ laughing," I said, laughing.  
Tom rolled his eyes. "The two come from the woods...then they come from a home of a singer...what else can you expect except them making fun of each other? It comes with the so-called privelege of sibling company," he said with a laugh, poking at his food a bit.  
"Mmmhmm," I grunted, going back to my food. "Hey..steak."   
Dad laughed. "You didn't see that your mother cooked steak? Fi, you really haven't been on Earth for the past few minutes, have you?"   
I laughed lightly. "Guess not..."   
Jake looked at me and cleared his throat. "Well...Fi had that jerk Jeff Kenter bugging her today...makes sense she needs a little time to chill.."   
I shot a look at him. I didn't want anything started...especially not some sort of sexual harrassment discussion.   
He looked at me with sympathy, but understanding.  
I breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing that he wouldn't tell them exactly what Jeff had done. I looked back down at the plate of food and cut a small piece off the steak. In the woods, I'd been a vegetarian..but after being with the Andersons and with the Phillipses, meat didn't seem so bad if you didn't have too much of it.   
Jack smiled lightly at me and looked away, laughing lightly at one of Dad's jokes.   
Dad.   
What a great thing to be able to say...  
But still, it was painful. Jack and I hadn't really bonded since the night after Molly took us in. Approximately six years ago. I looked down at the food, sighing lightly.   
"Fi, honey...you okay?" Mom asked sympathetically.   
I nodded. "Please excuse me," I murmered, pushing my chair back and walking out, and up to my room.   
Soon enough, as I had expected, Jack soon followed me, looking pissed. "Fi, what the hell is wrong with you? Can't you appreciate ANYTHING we get?? We've found our family!! I can't believe you're still acting like this!"   
I looked at him. "Jackson, I know! But mocking me isn't going to help, either, you know. Some people get upset by it. Jack, we never talk anymore. We never tell secrets. We never open our hearts to one another. We're brother and sister, damn it...we should at least be able to _talk_..."   
He looked at me and took a deep breath, trying not to lose it. "Fiona, that is not the point."   
"Then what is?" I demanded. "I am glad that we're in our true home...with our true family...I'm glad that we have a place where we belong...I'm glad we're not living in the woods off of berries and plants. But Jack..I'm not glad that I don't even know who you are anymore. Not at all.."   
He seemed taken aback. He cleared his throat and looked away from me, leaning against my door. "Fi...thi--things have...changed..." he explained, looking down. "I'm sixteen now, Fi...I'm getting my drivers liscense next week...I'm not going to --"   
"Not going to what?" I demanded softly, turning away. "Not going to have time for me anymore? Like you ever did.."   
"Like I ever did...Fi! I did all I could to make sure you survived in those woods. Fi, you nearly died when you were seven years old," he said, stepping close to me, face near mine. "The only reason you're alive right now is because I was there for you. I was there to feed you. I was there to make sure the winter didn't take your life. I'm sorry if you're feeling ungreatful."   
He turned around and walked out, slamming the door behind him.   
  
~~~Chapter Twelve~~~|*Fi*|  
The next day at school, I walked into first period with all my stuff, sitting down at my desk and sighing lightly.   
"Fi?"   
I turned to my right. Jenice Freindrick; somebody who befriended me on the first day. I wondered how she didn't have to ward guys off with a machine gun. She was really pretty. Well, not that I know if she _didn't_ have to ward them off. I'd only known her for a day.   
"Hi," I said softly, opening my binder and saying nothing else.   
"Fi..is everything okay?" she asked.   
I nodded. "Yes. Everything is peachy."   
She seemed skeptical, and opened her mouth to reply, but the bell rang. She sat back down and continuously eyed me.   
"Okay, class, we--"   
Marco and Jake opened the door at that time. Jake cleared his throat and looked at Mr. Wattnobbi. "Sir...Marco was having some -- um..personal problems."   
Marco nodded and tried to look hurt or something. It wasn't too believable...he wasn't exactly the best actor. I figured Marco didn't need another detention and that was why Jake was making up some phony excuse.  
Mr. Wattnobbi didn't buy it either. "Two tardies...Marco, that's your third tardy of the month...that's a detention. Jake, your first--watch out or you'll suffer the same fate as Jameson, got it?"   
Jake nodded and sat down silently.   
Marco slapped his forehead. "Detention...wonderful..." he muttered, going to his seat across the room.   
"Okay," Mr. Wattnobbi continued. "Now. We're waiting on our friend Kenter."   
Sure enough, a few seconds later, Kenter came strolling into the room, smirk on his face. "Continue, Watty," he said, sitting down at his desk behind me.   
"Terrific," I muttered. I didn't need Kenter adding to my stress today. Not at all.   
"Mr. Kenter, that is your seventh tardy of the month. That's a two-day suspension."   
Jeff sat down behind me and shrugged off the punishment, sitting back in his chair.  
But what was going on with Jake and Marco?...I mean, they were both tardy...and Jake obviously had a reputation on being prompt.   
"Class...page 122 please."   
I felt a tap on my shoulder.   
I ignored it and turned to page 122.   
"Hey, Fi...seems as though your brother broke his streak of being on time for class. Maybe he's hiding something from you..."   
"I don't need your crap right now, Kenter," I whispered, biting my lip and choking back a sob.   
"Him and Marco are probably planning some sort of revolt against you or something. Jake has always been a perfect little son of a bitch...and you never know with that worm Jameson...he's always been a bas--"   
I stood up, turning around and throwing my book down on Kenter's desk, trying to maintain the little of my dignity that was left. The whole class turned to us. Even Mr. Wattnobbi. I didn't care anymore, even as the silence sat so everybody could hear what we said. "Shut the hell up right now, Kenter. Nobody talks that way about my brother and his best friend. You've got something to say to them," I said, pointing towards Jake and Marco, "then you say it to their faces. Not behind their backs."   
I felt a hand on my arm. Jenice. She looked concerned. "Fi...sit down and--"  
"No," I said, shaking my head. I put a hand to my forehead and closed my eyes as I felt the warm trickle of tears on my cheeks. "No," I whispered again. I stood in front of the class, looking into their probing eyes...looking at them as they stared at me with question.   
I gasped, unable to take any of it anymore, I ran towards the door, throwing it open.   
I ignored Jake and Marco and Jenice calling my name. I had to get out of there. There wasn't anything I could do to keep the tears back anymore. I let them out as I sobbed and ran down the hallways of the school. The sound of my name rang throughout the halls...my name echoed in my ears. I ignored it and threw open the front doors of the school, sucking the fresh air into my lungs and running off.   
I turned around a little and saw Jake throw the doors open and look around outside, not spotting me.   
I breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't see me and continued through to the woods, running through. I didn't care anymore. The branches snapped in my face and my legs were feeling weak now. It didn't matter that I was on the track team right now; I was stressed. And that was going to add to my exhaustion.   
I practically collapsed when I got to the dock. I looked around, trying to steady my heavy breathing, and sat down on the edge, looking down into the water.   
The woods were silent except for the soft sloshing of the water as the waves crashed upon one another. I looked up into the blue sky and at the clouds. What was wrong with me? It couldn't have anything to do with Jack...  
I sucked in a deep breath and looked back down at the water. I heard a branch snap behind me.   
I whipped around, seeing Marco standing there. He laughed lightly. "This dock was recently reconstructed. It used to be down here...an old old dock...they had to rebuild it...nice place to think...heh..even for a guy like me..." He gazed out at the lake. "This lake leads out to the ocean, you know."   
I nodded lightly, looking back at the water. He cleared his throat and sat down next to me, trying to meet my eyes. "Fi...look, I normally don't..get so close to people. But you're an amazing person, Fi...Jake's really lucky to have a sister like you."   
I looked at him in slight surprise, wiping the tears from under my eyes. He turned away and looked at the woods. "What did Kenter say to you that got you so upset?" he asked softly.   
Shaking my head, I looked at him. "It doesn't matter..." I whispered.   
He looked back at me, gulping lightly. "Fi..." he said softly.   
We were both leaning forward slowly.   
"Marco..." I whispered.   
"Shh," he said, as his lips met mine.   
  
~~~Chapter Thirteen~~~ |*Marco*|  
It was like a punch in the face.   
But a good punch.   
My lips touched her's, and they locked onto mine. I slipped my arms around her waist. My first kiss ever like this. And I loved it.   
She slid her hands up my chest and to my shoulders, kissing back.   
Finally. I'd wanted this ever since I first saw her. She was beautiful, smart, wise, generous, caring...and have I listed beautiful? Yes. Beautiful.   
I felt her trying to pull back. _Nooo...not yet...!_ I thought fiercely. _Just a minute more..._   
But I couldn't stop her. She pulled away and smiled lightly. I smiled back. She pointed down at my arms.   
"Hmm?" I asked softly, grinning like an idiot. I looked down at my arms. "Oh! Oh yeah.." I laughed, releasing her.   
"Thank you," she whispered, turning away from me and looking back at the water.   
I looked at the water, feeling somewhat embarrassed. But my heart was beating at a million miles per hour. But if Jake was mad when I called her a babe, he would definitely hate to have seen this.   
I looked down at the water. How could I keep this Yeerk war from her now? How could I keep anything from her? Those blue eyes that matched the sky just made me want to melt. That was it. I was telling Jake: We needed to make her an Animorph.   
  
It was later that day. I returned home, throwing my backpack onto the couch. "Home, Dad!" I called.   
"Hey," he said, walking into the living room. He stopped and studied me. "You look happy."   
I grinned. "Yep."  
He smiled. "What's the occasion?"   
"Nothing much.." I replied, walking up the stairs and into my room. I sat down on the bed and picked up the portable phone, punching in Jake's number.   
Phone rang once. Twice.   
"Hello?"  
"Jake...that thing we were talking about earlier?...We have to do it," I explained carefully, in case the phones were being bugged.   
"Marco...not yet. We'll have to work on it another day...but I haven't decided on whether I want to do the project on the history of Germany or of Egypt..."   
I sighed. "Okay. We'll continue this discussion tomorrow."   
"Okay...bye."   
I hung up the phone. Damn it...how could he not be sure? Fi wasn't a controller. She couldn't be. It wasn't possible...  
I sighed again, walking back out the room and shutting the door behind me. I grabbed my coat off the couch, explaining to my dad that Jake I had to meet somewhere, and walked back outside towards the woods.   
"She has to still be there..." I murmered, stepping into the beginning of the line of trees. "She just has to--"   
"Who?"   
I turned around and my eyes met the tall figure of Jake. He looked suspicious.   
I laughed. "Nobody...I'm just talking to myself...I was eh..singing that new song!! Yeah...Nine Inch Nails recorded a new song that's called "She's Just Gotta Be There"...great song, really!!"   
Jake raised an eyebrow. "Really."   
"Mmhmm," I confirmed. It was a useless attempt; Jake knew when I was lying. But oh well. Worth a shot.  
He nodded, understanding.   
_Woo...nice save, Marco,_ I thought silently.  
"Do you wanna go for a walk?" he asked.   
I stopped in my tracks. "No! No...I mean...I have to do some thinking alone.."   
He nodded suspiciously. "Okay..." he said, beginning to walk in the opposite direction.   
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay," I whispered, going off on my own, I started my way to the dock. The sun was setting now...and it was starting to get chilly.   
I heard voices. I stopped and pressed my back against a tree.   
Tom.   
And Chapman.   
"I don't care! Visser Three says that this girl could be a threat to our invasion, according to the information you've delivered. She's too strong. Too suspicious...your host's new sister is too smart. We can't allow her to roam free and uncontrolled..." Chapman said.   
I froze. "Fi," I whispered, darting off.   
"Hey..who was that?!? Stop right there!" Tom yelled after me.   
But I was well ahead of them, running to the dock. I had to at least warn her...  
I stumbled onto the dock, finding it completely deserted.   
"No.." I whispered. I looked back at the woods. I no longer heard the voices calling after me. "Oh my God..."   
I darted over branches and logs, trying to get out of the woods. I tripped over a large limb, falling to the ground and getting the breath knocked out of me.   
"Oof," I breathed, as a cloud of dust rose up around me. I coughed and tried to get to my feet. "Got...to warn Fi..."   
But I knew that I had to be too late by now. I burst out of the woods and ran down the street towards the Phillips' house.   
  
  
  
  



	3. Adjusting

~~~~~~~~~*PART THREE*~~~~~~~~~  


  
************************  
~~~Chapter Fourteen~~~ |*Jake*|  
I was walking back to the house in silence. Marco had been acting weird. And what was with the sudden decision to make Fi an Animorph? That was the slightest bit odd.   
I walked into the house, finding the lights were off. "What the..." I said softly, narrowing my brow in confusion.   
I continued up the stairs. Mom and Dad were out tonight...and Jack was out doing his driving test. Tom should've been at the Sharing Meeting...maybe it was just Fi here?   
I saw her bedroom door open and the lights off. "Odd," I whispered.   
Fearing the worst, and continuing down the hallway in silence, I poked my head into her room. And what I saw made me strain to keep my balance. "Oh my God.." I whispered softly.  
"Yes..yes.." Tom said softly, leaning over a sleeping Fi. He stuck the long tweezers into the jar and pulled out something large and gray.   
A Yeerk.   
I choked back a yell and bent down silently. His back was to me, and I had to help Fi. I happened to know that there was a loose floorboard in the hallway near this room. If only I could find--  
Ah ha!! Finding it, I silently pulled it out and got to my feet.   
And it all happened in a flash. Tom lowered the tweezers to her ear, and as the Yeerk made his first signs of contact, I swung the floorboard as hard as I could. With a sickening _crack!_, Tom fell over, immediately unconscious. The slimey Yeerk slid off Fi's bed and onto the floor, unmoving.   
"What the?.." an awaken, and extremely grouchy Fi demanded, sitting up.   
The board did its job and before I could stop it, it followed through, bashing Fi over the head. Unconscious, she slipped off the bed and onto the floor beside Tom.   
"Shit!" I muttered, bending down and making sure that Tom was unconscious.   
"Jake!"   
I snapped around. Marco, looking a wreck, stumbled into the room, looking pained. "Am I too late??"   
"What?" I demanded. "No...no...I..."   
He looked at the floorboard in my hands, and down at the unconscious Tom and the Yeerk near him, and then his eyes fell on the unconscious Fi beside him. "Jake...I see you knocked Tom out to protect your sister...but what the hell did you do to _her_???"  
I dropped the floorboard, searching for words. I opened my mouth but nothing came out.   
"How--how did you know?" I managed to say. "How did you find out?"   
He sighed. "I heard Tom and Chapman talking. I looked for Fi in the woods, since I -- " he hesitated. "Since I saw her go in there after she ran out of the school. When I couldn't find her, I rushed here..."   
He knelt down beside me and looked at Fi. "I told you she wasn't a controller," he whispered.   
I shot him a look. I didn't like being told when I was wrong. "We have to get her to the barn," I decided. "Now. Call Cassie. We're taking a vote."   
  
~~~Chapter Fifteen~~~ |*Marco*|  
I couldn't have told Jake about being with Fi at the dock. He would've killed me.   
We all sat in the barn, looking at the unconscious Fi that lay on three haybales layed down in a row. A small trail of blood trickled down her forehead as she lay.   
I looked away and let out a shakey sigh. The entire group was there. Even Ax.   
Jake had explained what happened at school and back at the house. They all listened in silence.   
"We've discussed this already once this week..." he commented, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Now we know that she is, indeed, no controller. Let's analyze the situation at hand here.   
a) Fi has recently moved here from a different state. Her and I discovered that we are twins, and that she is, indeed, a Phillips.   
b) Tom has been trying to get her to join The Sharing since she stepped foot in our house. A little suspicious.   
c) If we don't make her into an Animorph, or warn her of what's going on, Tom will succeed in making her a controller. And we won't be able to stop it.  
d) She's a very hush-hush sort of person when she needs to be. She's smart enough to keep the Yeerk War a secret.   
e)" - he sighed - "I think Fi may already know something's up...she's too smart for her own good...she's going to find out about us sooner or later, whether we keep a low profile or not. If she's ever infested, we're completely dead.  
f) And damnit...for the sake of Fi...she could get very hurt."   
They all took in the facts. Rachel nodded in understanding. "But Jake...if she totally freaks out...we could be dead then, too. She may not keep this a secret.."   
"She would," he snapped in defense. "She's no idiot, Rachel."  
Rachel pursed her lips together and looked away.   
Set-up, maybe, Tobias said from the rafters, fluffing his feathers a bit.   
"Set-up?" I snapped. "This wasn't no damn set-up, bird!! Why would they set up something so incredibly _stupid??_"  
To get us to admit our secret to Fi, he stated calmly. Make us give in...and then have Fi lure us into their trap.   
I scoffed. "This is bull shit. She'd never do something like that."   
"But," Cassie stated, stepping in for the first time, "her Yeerk _would_."   
"What goddamn Yeerk?" I demanded, looking at Jake. "Jake..tell them--tell them that Fi isn't infested...tell them!!"   
Jake bit his lower lip. "Marco...we can't know for sure anymore. We just can't."   
My jaw dropped open in shock. "What?!? Goddammit Jake! This is your twin sister...you should be close enough to her to know that she's no controller."   
"Marco, I didn't say--"   
"Fuck you," I snapped, unable to stop myself. I turned away and looked at the barn door, considering just jumping up and leaving.   
"Fuck YOU, Marco!" Rachel cried, throwing her hands into the air. "We're not trying to be the bad guys here! Just because you're in love with the goddamn victem doesn't mean that you need to--"  
"Ok, that is just _enough!"_ Jake said harshly, stepping between Rachel and I. "We need to look at what's important here."   
I nodded and looked away, sighing. I was a rational person...but I just couldn't believe that Fi would be a controller. She couldn't be. That face couldn't belong to anybody but her...the true her.  
"Okay," Cassie whispered, looking at all of us. Ax hadn't spoken up yet, and Fi still lay unconscious on the bale of hay.   
"So. Animorph or not?" Jake asked softly.   
My decisions reflect yours, Prince Jake.  
Jake didn't say anything to Ax, but looked at Fiona. "Ax, this time you're voting. Fi an Animorph or no?"   
Prince Jake, I cannot---   
"You're voting, Ax," Jake insisted in a soft voice. Not the tone-it-down sort of voice, but the Now's-the-time-to-follow-my-orders-before-I-turn-into-one-majorly-pissed-off-Fearless-Leader sort of voice.   
Ax nodded slowly, something he had picked up from humans. Very well. I shall vote yes. Prince Jake, your twin sister must know what is going on in the world. You say she has the sort of - the sort of power to distinctly analyze any given situation...put the puzzle together, as humans may put it. It will be better if she is involved in the war, rather than in the middle of it.  
Jake nodded slowly. "Yeah..." he said softly.  
Cassie looked down at Fi. "I say yes."   
Rachel, arms crossed, leaned against the wall of the barn, looking at Fi. "Yes," she murmered.   
Mmmhmm, Tobias said slowly.   
I looked at Jake. "You know I say yes."  
Jake nodded. "And I, of course, say yes. It's unanimous. Fi's officially an Animorph."  
  
~~~Chapter Sixteen~~~ |*Fi*|  
I moaned and opened my eyes, looking up at Jake, Marco, Rachel, and Cassie.   
Dizzy, I sat up, finding myself sitting on a bale of hay. "What happened?.." I asked, touching my forehead and bringing my slightly bloody fingers back in front of my face, gasping lightly.   
Jake bit his lower lip and looked at me. I looked back, trying to read his eyes. "You're about to announce something that will change my life major, aren't you?" I asked, gulping.   
Marco nodded and patted my shoulder. "Oh yeah. It'll change your life, all right."   
  
An hour later, they had explained all they needed to about the Yeerks and morphing and Andalites. I took a deep breath, soaking all of this in.   
"Here," Cassie said gently, holding out a hand. A glowing blue box sat on her palm and illuminated the darkness of the barn. I gulped. "What do I do with it?"   
"Touch it," Rachel whispered, gazing at the box.   
I let out a shakey breath and extended a hand, touching it.   
A soft but pleasurable feeling blanketed me. Like an all new warmth. I closed my eyes lightly.   
I was snapped out of my short daze when Cassie pulled the box away from my reach. "Now what?" I asked in a shakey voice, glancing around the barn.   
You acquire. You concentrate. You morph.   
I looked at Ax. He seemed pretty cool for an alien. I gulped. "Morph?"   
"Yes.." Marco said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder and smirking lightly. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Really."   
Cassie held out a cage containing a bird. I squinted to see it, and I smiled. "The American Swallow-Tailed Kite," I said with a grin.   
She smiled lightly. "You know the bird? Not many do."   
"Know it?" I laughed lightly. "I did a report on this bird in sixth grade..." I said, stroking its feathers lightly. "In my eyes, it's the prettiest bird of prey in the world."   
Cassie smiled. "Touch it. And create a single path between you and the bird. Study its feathers. Its beak. Its talons," she whispered.   
I touched its head, jumping slightly as it jerked lightly in surprise. I quietly ran my hand down her spine, as she stopped moving and stared at me with empty eyes for a minute. I took my hand back in and cocked my head at the bird. She blinked and began moving again.   
"Its DNA is yours..." Cassie said, smiling a bit.  
"Amazing.." I murmered softly. "Absolutely amazing..."   
"I know," Jake commented, watching Cassie replace the bird's cage.  
Welcome to our fighting force, Princess Fiona, Ax said.   
I held up a hand. "Just Fi."   
Yes, Princess Fiona.  
Jake rolled his eyes. "Fi, give it up. It's a useless attempt."  
"And now," Marco stated with a small smirk. "You're one of us."   
  
~~~Chapter Seventeen~~~ |*Fi*|  
After a night of no sleep, I got dressed and walked downstairs.   
The house was empty. I looked around. "Hello?" I called. "Anybody?"   
"Fi."   
I snapped around. It was Marco. He smiled and held a single rose in his hands. "Hey, beautiful," he said, smirking.   
I smiled lightly. "Hey...where is everybody?"   
"Does it really matter? We're alone together."   
He lowered his face to mine and our lips embraced one another's. I passionately kissed him with all I was worth. He offered the same.   
He slid his hands gently to my neck and pulled back, gazing at me. "You're so beautiful..." he whispered. "So beautiful."   
I smiled lightly, wanting him to kiss me again.   
"Fi..." he whispered lightly. "Fi...Fi..."   
  
"FI!"  
I sat up quickly. Damn. It had only been a dream. Taking a deep breath, I let it back out and glared at the door. "I'm up, Jackson."   
"GOOD! Mom said I need to drive you to school this morning because it's raining out. Get ready quick, chick."   
The sound of departing footsteps in the hallway.   
I sighed and got out of bed and headed into the bathroom, undressing and slipping into the shower.   
I sighed lightly as the warm water washed over my cold body. Just what I needed...   
About ten minutes later, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself, holding it together at my armpit, I opened the door and walked back into my room.   
"Marco!" I cried, holding onto the towel tighter.   
He snapped around. "Fi, I--" He looked at me, seeing I was only wrapped in a towel. "Oh my God," he whispered, backing into the desk, but not moving his eyes from me. Knocking things over, he reached his hands out aimlessly to catch the falling objects.   
"Marco, what the hell are you doing in my room?!" I demanded, holding the towel and crossing my other arm over my overly-revealed chest.   
"I--oh my God...I'm sorry," he said, finally tearing his eyes away from me and turning his back to me. "I just wanted to talk to you."   
"And _how_ the _hell_ did you get into my room without my mother brutally murdering you with a spatula?"   
"I morphed over, okay? Jake's at school early for that basketball practice and sent me to remind you about it so you didn't worry," he explained quickly, fidgeting furiously.  
I knew I was a deep shade of red. Not that I didn't like Marco a lot, of course, but I didn't particularly want him to see me half-naked.   
I began laughing lightly.   
He turned his head lightly to the side, but not looking at me. "What's so funny?" he asked.   
"You..." I said, laughing a little harder. "That look on your face when you saw me..." I shook my head in amusement. "Marco, you're quite a character....and that's a good thing."   
  
~~~Chapter Eighteen~~~ |*Marco*|  
Half of me just wanted to turn around and gather her in my arms, kissing her passionately and stay in this bedroom all day long; the other half of me said that was not a good idea.   
I laughed lightly. I wanted to turn around and look at her, but I knew it would make me look like a shallow jerk.   
"Well, I mean, it's not like you don't look completely hot in a towel--" I stopped myself. _Oh my GOD you've done it this time, Jameson..._  
She laughed softly. "Thank you. I'll think of that as a compliment. Now, Marco...can you do me the large favor of stepping out so I may get dressed?"   
I smiled nervously. "Oh..yeah...heh...of course," I said, restraining myself from turning around, I side-stepped to the door and opened it, walking out.   
Once out, I leaned against her door and let out a deep breath, trying to stop my heart from beating rapidly.   
_Concentrate, Marco...you have to find a way out of this house without pissing her parents off..._  
I glanced down the hall both ways, and snuck down the stairs. I saw Jack in the kitchen, attempting to butter some toast and murmering to himself. "Damnit...nuh...not too thick, Jack..just right. Make the ideal piece of toast...delicious," he said, waving it in front of his nose and grinning.   
I raised my eyebrows. _Woo...has he always been that psycho? Poor Fi. Being supported completely by him for five or six years...sad..._ I shook my head and slinked towards the door, opened it, and slipped out of the house.   
I leaned against the door and took in a deep breath. "Okay...get to school now..." I told myself silently, stepping off the porch and into the rain, I headed towards the school.   
  
~~~Chapter Nineteen~~~ |*Fi*|  
Later at school, I walked into first period and sat down at my desk, smiling lightly at Jenice. She simply nodded at me. I looked up at the clock. The bell wouldn't ring for five minutes.  
Marco was still a nervous wreck. He was still looking embarrassed as heck, as he sat in his seat across the room from me. When he saw me come in, he smiled lightly and then turned away again.   
I shook my head lightly in amusement. Guys...sheesh.   
I opened my binder and pulled out last night's homework, taking a deep breath.   
"Hey, Fi," a voice behind me said.   
I turned around. Jeff, of course. I sighed and turned back ahead. "What do you want, Kenter?"   
"Well. There are a lot of things I want. I want your hair, your lips, your legs,   
your br--"   
"That's enough. I'm sorry I asked," I interrupted, rolling my eyes.   
Marco, who had apparently heard, bolted upright in his chair, turning this way.  
"Anyway, my point being...I'm going to the school pool later on. Would you like to join me, hot stuff? Wear a small bikini just for me, hmm?" he asked, grinning.   
I smiled back blandly. "Just for you..." I started, running a hand across his chest, "I won't wear a bikini." I smiled.   
Him, not getting the point that I was being sarcastic, smiled smugly. "That's more like it. I knew I'd get your body one day."   
I laughed lightly. "I'll wear my clothes. Because, you know what? You can go to the pool all alone, and--busy yourself with whatever you enjoy doing in private. You actually thought I was saying I would come? Uh huh. Yeah. Maybe in your overly-dellusional fantasies."   
His smile faded. "Oh come on, Phillips...you know you want me bad. So bad, your body is screaming for mine."   
"Mmmhmm," I agreed. "And do ya know what it's screaming? It's screaming 'Get it the hell away from me!'" I smiled a clearly strained smile and turned back around in my seat.  
Arms slipped around my shoulders. I sighed. "There's nothing that that freak Marco can give you that I can't," he whispered in my ear. "Jameson is a loser. Leave him...come with me and I'm sure you won't regret it. No girl ever has."   
I laughed. "Yeah. But I'm not 'no girl'. I'm not interested in losing my virginity to a bastard," I remarked, sick of hearing all of his crap.   
"Sure ya are, Fi...don't deny it..." he whispered. He slid his hand down my shoulder. I stared at it suspiciously, having a feeling what he was about to do. Slowly going lower and lower, I found myself unable to stop him...his hand slipped onto the top of my -   
I grabbed his wrist right then, holding it hard in my fist, hoping the bones would crush. "You're going to be extremely sorry you did that."   
I spun around and threw myself onto his desk, shoving him out of his chair and onto the floor. I leaped to the ground and I was on him in an instant, throwing every punch I could get in.   
He was desperately trying to fight back, but I gave him no such chance. "Phillips, you're mad!!" he cried, blocking a punch.  
"Fi!"   
I ignored the voice and continued to beat on Jeff.   
"Fi, c'mon!"   
Strong hands lifted me off of Kenter. I turned around and saw it was Marco. Before I could return to Jeff, Marco wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pulling me backwards as I struggled. "NO! Let me at him! Just let me KILL HIM!"   
"FI! Stop!"   
"NO! Let me go!! Let me hurt him!"   
Jake stepped up to Kenter, grabbing him by the shirt collar and lifting him off the ground, glaring at him. "You ever touch my sister again..." He didn't finish the threat. That look in Jake's eyes said everything, as he violently shoved Jeff aside.   
Mr. Wattnobbi, who, unknown to my knowledge, had seen the entire thing, said, "Mr. Kenter, I'm sure that Vice Principal Chapman would enjoy a visit from you." He looked over at me. Trying to catch my breath, a few strands of hair fell in my face. Marco still held my waist tight behind me, in case I wanted to go wacko on Jeff again. I let out a shakey breath. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't...couldn't. "Mr. Jameson, please help Miss Phillips home...give her a little time to mentally recover...it is something very traumatic to experience."   
Before I knew it, I felt the warm trickle of tears on my cheek. I choked back a sob. Mr. Wattnobbi looked at me. I'd never actually seen the guy smile...but there was just a sparkle in his eyes that made me calm down a bit; a comforting sparkle. "It's okay, Miss Phillips..just get home and get some rest, okay? Jeff will _not_ get away with something like this. It's gaurenteed, all right?"   
I nodded gently, wiping the tears away from under my eyes. Mr. Wattnobbi was a decent man..very decent, actually.   
He looked back at Jake. "You have permission to leave, too, Mr. Phillips."   
Jake nodded. "Yeah..hold on, Mr. Wattnobbi. I have to have a small talk with Jeff here, first..." He gave Jeff a side-long look.   
Jeff looked at me. Except it wasn't a look of arrogance anymore; it was a look of annoyance.   
I gulped lightly.   
Marco looked down at me and smiled lightly. "Come on, let's get you out of here."   
  
~~~Chapter Twenty~~~ |*Fi*|  
After practically dragging my limp body out of the school, Marco put his hands on my shoulders once out of there. "Are you okay?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair out of my eye.  
I nodded, trying to restrain the new tears. "Yeah..I'm okay...I'm okay..."   
"All right..." he whispered, giving me a short hug, then pulled back. "Good...that asshole Kenter has hell coming to him, do you know that? Hell."   
I nodded, beginning to walk slowly, lightly hugging myself.   
"Wattnobbi's a pretty good guy, ya know...letting you go home to get over this.."  
I wasn't in the mood for conversation. I simply nodded. "Mmhmm."   
He smiled a little. "Ok. Let's get you home before you collapse from the newly added stress, okay?"  
  
A few hours later, after my parents got done yelling at my school over the phone, I was back at home and curled up in bed, locked in my room. I smiled lightly, remembering when I left that hairpin there for Jack to purposely stumble upon to unlock my door. It had been something I was expecting of him.   
This time, though, I wasn't letting him get in by me. If he wanted to, it was just too bad.   
I stood and sat down on my desk chair, pulling a drawer open. Gasping slightly in memory, I gingerly ran my fingers across the ring that lay in the very front. It was a gift from Molly a long time ago...she said it was her great great grandmother's.   
"I'm glad it's the end..." I said softly, sliding the drawer shut and looking at the carpet. "I'm glad it's the end..."  
There was a soft knock on my door. I didn't respond. I knew it was Jack.   
"Fi...Fi, please, open up..."   
I said not a word. He wasn't going to get in this time.   
There was a soft jiggling, and the door sprang open.   
I looked at him in amazement.   
He grinned smugly. "A bent paperclip," he explained, holding it up. "Hey, I learned from the master."   
I smiled lightly.   
"Fi...look," he said softly, sitting on my bed and looking at the chair I sat in beside it. "I can't believe that son of a bitch did that to you..." He cocked his head lightly. "You doin okay?"   
I nodded and let out a shakey breath. "Yeah. I'm doin all right..."   
He nodded. "Good." He stood up to leave, but stopped. "Fi...you know I love you, right?"   
I smiled lightly. That was something I had wanted to hear Jackson say for a long long time. I nodded lightly. "I know, Jack. I love you too."   
"And you know if I had been in that classroom..I would have beaten the shit out of that guy..right?"  
I nodded. "Yes. I know you would've."   
He put a hand on my head and messed my hair up a bit; something he hadn't done for a long long time.   
"How bout going for a spin in my new car later?" he suggested with a grin. "Just you and me, eh?"   
I nodded, smiling a bit. "That would be nice."   
He leaned against the wall, gazing at me. "You're one of a kind Fi...you know that? Stay the same, kid." He looked up at the ceiling, sighing lightly. "Glad we're going to spend some time together again..."   
I cocked my head lightly. "Mmmhmm..." I murmered.   
He smiled a little and said, "We're going to make quite a team, you know that?..." He laughed softly and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.   
I smiled at the door and shook my head lightly. "Not the end, Fi. It's just the beginning. Just merely the beginning."   
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
